Roto RIteup: July 30, 2026
Don’t call my name, don’t call my name…Heribertooooo
On the Agenda:
- Closer Chaos
- Quick Hits
- Various News and Notes
- Streaming Pitchers
Archive for Hitters
Position Player Playing Time Changes: July 28, 2026
The last two weeks have brought plenty of projected playing time changes for hitters, and there should be even more next week after the trade deadline, with plenty of plate appearances opening up for selling teams. Here’s the latest.
Significant Playing Time Changes, Hitters, 7/14 to 7/28
| Name | Team | Positions | Old PT % | New PT % | PT Change | Old PA | New PA | PA Change | Reason |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tommy White | ATH | 1B, 3B, DH | 3% | 40% | 37% | 9 | 100 | 91 | Injury-ravaged A’s have a lot of PT available |
| Brady House | WSN | 3B | 30% | 67% | 37% | 86 | 168 | 82 | Curtis Mead trade opens up 3B audition |
| Javier Báez | DET | SS, CF | 14% | 45% | 31% | 40 | 113 | 73 | Nearing return from IL |
| Brian Serven | ATH | C | 3% | 32% | 29% | 9 | 80 | 71 | Backup C with Langeliers out |
| Christian Encarnacion-Strand | BAL | 3B, 1B | 3% | 32% | 29% | 9 | 80 | 71 | Hot hitting should keep him in lineup |
| Dane Myers | CIN | CF, RF | 22% | 51% | 29% | 63 | 128 | 65 | Back from the IL and playing plenty |
| Petey Halpin | CLE | CF, LF | 7% | 33% | 26% | 20 | 83 | 63 | Stays on roster with Ramírez and Angél Martínez back |
| Harry Ford | WSN | C | 8% | 33% | 25% | 23 | 83 | 60 | Short side of catching platoon since call-up |
| Spencer Jones | NYY | RF, LF, DH, CF | 9% | 33% | 24% | 26 | 83 | 57 | Will get a good look with Bellinger out, barring trades |
| Luis Rengifo | SDP | 3B, 2B, DH | 10% | 31% | 21% | 29 | 78 | 49 | Has hit well since joining Padres |
| Elias Díaz | TEX | C | 14% | 35% | 21% | 40 | 88 | 48 | Starting catcher with Jansen, Kyle Higashioka both hurt |
| Tyler Locklear | ARI | 1B | 22% | 43% | 21% | 63 | 108 | 45 | Starting 1B as the Diamondbacks continue to figure out the solution there |
| Luis Robert Jr. | NYM | CF, DH | 56% | 81% | 25% | 160 | 203 | 43 | Back from IL + playing daily |
| Jonah Heim | ATH | C, DH, 1B | 50% | 72% | 22% | 143 | 180 | 37 | Starting C with Langeliers out |
| José Ramírez | CLE | 3B, DH | 70% | 94% | 24% | 200 | 236 | 36 | Back from the IL |
| Tristan Gray | MIN | SS, 2B, 3B | 53% | 33% | -20% | 151 | 83 | -68 | Optioned to minors |
| Will Smith | LAD | C, DH | 54% | 34% | -20% | 154 | 85 | -69 | Not making progress from neck strain |
| Miguel Andujar | SDP | DH, 3B, LF | 48% | 26% | -22% | 137 | 65 | -72 | Fractured wrist |
| Daniel Schneemann | CLE | 3B, CF, 2B, LF, RF, SS | 61% | 40% | -21% | 174 | 100 | -74 | Optioned to minors |
| Joshua Kuroda-Grauer | ATH | 3B, 2B, DH, SS | 58% | 35% | -23% | 165 | 88 | -77 | The injury you wouldn’t wish on your worst enemy |
| Drew Millas | WSN | C | 34% | 7% | -27% | 97 | 18 | -79 | Finger surgery |
| Harrison Bader | SFG | CF | 56% | 28% | -28% | 160 | 70 | -90 | Plantar fasciitis setback |
| Addison Barger | TOR | RF, 3B | 39% | 0% | -39% | 111 | 0 | -111 | Season-ending elbow surgery |
| Spencer Steer | CIN | 1B, LF, RF, CF, 2B, DH, 3B | 75% | 37% | -38% | 214 | 93 | -121 | Sprained wrist, timeline unclear |
| Kahlil Watson | CLE | CF, LF, RF, DH | 54% | 13% | -41% | 154 | 33 | -121 | Optioned to minors |
| Cody Bellinger | NYY | LF, RF, CF, 1B | 90% | 52% | -38% | 257 | 130 | -127 | Hamstring strain, out 4-6 weeks |
| Juan Soto | NYM | LF, DH | 96% | 58% | -38% | 274 | 145 | -129 | Calf strain, worse than the last but he’s confident he’ll be back this year |
| Kyle Teel | CHW | C, DH | 73% | 26% | -47% | 208 | 65 | -143 | Badly sprained ankle |
| Shea Langeliers | ATH | C, DH | 90% | 0% | -90% | 257 | 0 | -257 | Season-ending meniscus surgery |
FAAB Frenzy and Waivers Wild: Week 19
Every Monday, this column will break down the most popular waiver wire and free agent acquisitions of the weekend. I dig into the top adds on the ever-popular Fantrax and in the NFBC Online Championship (OC), a national mid-stakes contest with 240 total leagues of 12 and a six-figure grand prize. Reviewing player adds between the two should provide us with a well-rounded perspective and barometer of the fantasy baseball marketplace.
I Have the Need, the Need for Mead (in Fenway)
If you were excited by offseason rumors of Isaac Paredes to Boston, or about the Red Sox adding Willson Contreras and Caleb Durbin to their right-handed hitter ranks, you should feel good about Curtis Mead. And if you’re anyone else, you’re probably thinking that the Nationals’ new GM Paul Toboni made like a seasoned fantasy manager and sold high on a few months of Mead for five years of team control of Connelly Early, a promising young left-handed starting pitcher.
But it looks like Mead has made some really intriguing changes that give us reason to believe in his growth as a hitter and Fenway might be an ideal new home for him.
Let’s Talk 8 Recent Hitter Callups
July 27, 2026
We’re only a week away from the trade deadline, which means a ton of movement is going to occur in the days leading up to and after that day. But that doesn’t mean teams haven’t already been busy recalling minor leaguers over the last couple of weeks and handing them starting jobs. So let’s discuss eight such recalls.
Lineup Analysis (7/24/26): National League
Brett Davis-Imagn Images
Sorry I for only getting to the National League today. I’ve been under the weather and don’t want to push it.
Note: Any noted rostership rates come from the NFBC RotoWire Online Championship, the same rates we use on the FanGraphs Player Rater. For reference, these leagues are 12-team Roto leagues with 30-man rosters (2 C, 1B, 2B, SS, 3B, MI, CI, 5 OF, UT, 9 P) and weekly add/drops. This rate can be compared to other rostership rates found in this article. Read the rest of this entry »
Schedule Tracker: Best and Worst Matchups Through August
by Jack Martin
July 24, 2026
Moving into the post-All-Star break, the clock really seems to begin to tick as the trade deadline approaches, and it feels like the season begins to really speed up on us. Time is running out for both MLB teams and keeper and dynasty managers deliberating whether to buy or sell. Whatever the situation may be, now, more than any other part of the season, we look to which teams can be aggressive in attacking the schedule in front of them. For this, I introduce the fixture ticker. Built for now until the end of August so you can look to identify targetable matchups in the upcoming weeks.
Roto Riteup: July 24, 2026
He may not be Heather’s nephew, but perhaps it’s the beginning of a new dynasty…
On the Agenda:
- Quick Hits
- Various News and Notes
- Streaming Pitchers
Big Dog Bats to Adopt for the Dog Days
A little over a month ago, I wrote up a handful of hitters that were underperforming their draft cost, were readily available to pick up in most 12-teamers, and why they were primed to break through.
Looking at underlying numbers from this season and comparing them to last season for struggling players can help identify when a player may be on the cusp of coming on strong after a weak stretch.
Kyle Stowers was one such player. Coming back from injury, Stowers scuffled through mid-June, with an OPS below .700 and a K% near 30%. But from June 12 on, when I published the piece, he has slashed .261/.341/.521 with seven homers and 23 RBI. He had been squaring up the ball in the weeks leading up to this breakthrough. But without the results.
Of course, the same process told me to consider Alec Bohm, who is himself rocking on OPS below .700 since I shouted out his hot run at the end of May and into June. I’m no wizard.
But late in the year, hot stretches are incredibly valuable. I’m sure I don’t need to tell you that, but it bears repeating. Whether it be in head-to-head leagues, where a hot stretch in the late summer can lift you over opponents, or in season long roto leagues where you find yourself lagging in homers, the hot stretch is like a hot pastrami. Undeniably savory. Perfect.
Now let’s look at some hitters, focusing on a selection of players rostered at different rates between CBS and Yahoo. Consider these hitters, particularly those in the top tier, options to replace struggling veterans like those that Mike Podhorzer wrote up a few days back. And if you are in a shallower league where these hitters are rostered, consider the art of the deal!
Roto Riteup: July 23, 2026
Flow like a harpoon daily and nightly…
Rice, Rice, Baby
On the Agenda:
- Closer Chaos
- Quick Hits
- Various News and Notes
- Streaming Pitchers